David’s Performance Text
The most prominent syllables under the new theory of the ancient accent are printed in bold; syllables are seasoned with occasional digammas.
τοῦ ὅ γ᾽ ἐπιμνησθεὶς ἔπε᾽ ἀθανάτοισι μετηύδα:
‘ὢ πόποι, οἷον δή νυ θεοὺς βροτοὶ αἰτιόωνται:
ἐξ ἡμέων γάρ φασι κάκ᾽ ἔμμεναι, οἳ δὲ καὶ αὐτοί
σφῇσιν ἀτασθαλίῃσιν ὑπὲρ μόρον ἄλγε᾽ ἔχουσιν,
ὡς καὶ νῦν Αἴγισθος ὑπὲρ μόρον Ἀτρεϝΐδαο
γῆμ᾽ ἄλοχον μνηστήν, τὸν δ᾽ ἔκτανε νοστήσαντα,
ϝεἰδὼς αἰπὺν ὄλεθρον, ἐπεὶ πρό ϝοἱ εἴπομεν ἡμεῖς,
Ἑρμείαν πέμψαντες, ἐύσκοπον ἀργεϊφόντην,
μήτ᾽ αὐτὸν κτείνειν μήτε μνάασθαι ἄκοιτιν:
ἐκ γὰρ Ὀρέσταο τίσις ἔσσεται Ἀτρεϝΐδαο,
ὁππότ᾽ ἂν ἡβήσῃ τε καὶ ἧς ἱμείρεται αἴης.
ὣς ἔφαθ᾽ Ἑρμείας, ἀλλ᾽ οὐ φρένας Αἰγίσθοιο
πεῖθ᾽ ἀγαθὰ φρονέων: νῦν δ᾽ ἁθρόα πάντ᾽ ἀπέτεισεν.
From ‘A literal impression of Homer’s Odyssea from someone who’s literally heard it’, by A. P. David:
Preoccupied with that, he voiced his lines among the deathless:
‘God damn, get a load of how these mortals blame the gods:
For it’s down to us they say that bad things exist, but it’s that lot themselves
Through their very own recklessness, get grief beyond what is budgeted,
As just now, Aegisthus, beyond the budget, went and fucked Atreides’
Wined and wedded wife—and the man himself he murdered upon his return home—
Knowing full well his steep destruction! Since we told him beforehand ourselves—
We sent Hermes, the watcher, the Slayer of Argus,
“Don’t be killing the man, no, don’t seduce his wife—
From Orestes there will be a reckoning for Atreides,
Whenever he comes of age and lusts for his livelihood.”
That’s how Hermes spoke, but he did not persuade the mind of Aegisthus
Well-meaning as he was: now he’s paid the price, all in a heap.’
Odyssey 1.31-43